Door-controlling means.



H." G. VOIGHT. DOOR CONTROLLING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED Mug, 191s.

1,070,368. Patented Aug. 12,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

HENRY G. VOIGHT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

DOOR-CONTROLLING MEANS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY G. VOIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Controlling Means, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to door controlling means of the type wherein a lever is provided and is operatively connected with a sliding door and with a relatively stationary abutment to swing with the opening and closing of the door. In an apparatus of this character, manually controlled means may be provided for moving the door 7 and its lever to open position, and power mechanism may be provided for moving said lever to move said door to closed position.

The present improvement is designed to afford the most advantageous leverage in both the opening and closing movement of the door, and in its preferable structural embodiment is described in detail in the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part thereof and illustrating such a preferable embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a sliding door and its lever connections constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the power closer mechanism and its connection to the door lever. Fig. 3 shows a detail of construction.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a sliding door, and 2 the door casing.

3 refers to the side wall of an elevator well, for instance, forming an abutment relatively stationary to the door. This wall 3 has appropriately secured thereto a plate l, carrying at its upper end a bracket 5. Pivotally mounted at its rear end on this bracket is a lever arm 6 whose forward end is pivotally connected to the rear end of a second lever arm 7, the forward end of this second lever being pivo-tally secured to the door 1, adjacent its forward edge, as at 8. These two levers together form a toggle which swings with the opening and closing of the door, and, in the form shown, extends with its pivots in horizontal alinement when the door is closed to form a dead center lock against opening movement. A pivoted Specification of Letters Tatent.

Application filed May 8, 1913.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Serial No. 766,326.

handle 9 is carried by the forward edge of the door, and is adapted through cam arm 10, cooperating with stud 11 of lever 7, to break this toggle lock, and move the door from closed toward open position.

The specific mechanism, so far described, forms no part of the present invention, except that it is illustrative of an existing type of door controlling mechanism. For a fur ther and detailed description of this mechanism, reference may be had to my prior Patent No. 1,041,706, dated October 15, 1912.

The plate 4, at a point below the bracket 5, carries a second bracket 12 to which the lower end of a power closer cylinder 13 is pivotally secured. This closer cylinder is preferably of that type employing a piston and a spring acting thereagainst, the piston rod thereof, being designated at 14. Below and in substantial alinement with the bracket 5 is a third bracket 15, to which is pivotally secured the rear end of a curved connecting arm 16, whose forward upwardly curved end is pivotally secured at 17, to spaced plates 18, which inclose therebetween the rear end of the lever 6. These plates are spaced apart sufliciently to permit free relative movement between the plates and the sides of lever 6. These plates are rigidly connected together by suitable rivets or other appropriate meansland carry a plurality of anti-friction rollers l 9 w hich guide upon the lever 6 at the upper and lower edges thereof. Adjacent its rear end the arm 16 has a downwardly extending transverse arm 20, which is pivotally secured to the upper end of the piston rod 14 of the power closer mechanism. The power of this closer cylinder through its piston rod 14, transverse arm 20, arm 16 and the connect ing plates 18, tends to move the lever 6 and through it lever 7, downwardly, to move the door to closed position after it has been moved by. hand to opened position.

The distance between the point of connection of the plates 18 and the pivot point of the lever 6 in the bracket 5, represents the resistance arm of the lever. The less the distance between these points, the greater the leverage secured through said lever by the operating handle, and vice versa. The parts are so arranged, therefore, that when the door is opened by hand, the upward swinging movement of lever 6 will, because of the sliding connection of arm 16 therewith, move the point of connection of said arm rearwardly and toward the fulcrum of the lever, progressively with the upward swing of lever 6 in door opening direction. The length of the effort arm of the lever is, therefore, increased and the leverage proportionately, thereby minimizing the exertion required to open the door against the force of power closer mechanism. Where the said mechanism includes a spring which is compressed with the opening of the door, it will be seen that the leverage secured increases as the spring is compressed, the ratio of the parts being preferably figured to make the opening operation require only a minimum expenditure of energy, as the increase in leverage takes care at the least, of the increased tension of the closing mechanism. Furthermore, this variable leverage, decreasing as it does the length of the resistance arm to a minimum upon the opening of the door, provides a most effective closing action, inasmuch as the power closing means is enabled to accomplish a quick return of the door toward closed position.

It will, of course, be understood that the nature of the power closing mechanism may be varied and also the details of structure and relative arrangement of parts within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described, a lever arranged to be operatively connected with. a sliding door and with a relatively stationary abutment to swing with the opening and closing of the door, power mechanisln, and means connecting said mechanism and said lever normally tending to swing the latter, said means providing a point of connection with said lever varying relative thereto with the swinging movement of said lever.

2. In a device of the character described, a lever arranged to be operatively connected with a sliding door and with a relatively stationary abutment to swing with the opening and closing of the door, power mechanism, and means connecting said mechanism and said lever normally tending to swing the latter in one direction, said means providing a sliding connection with said lever whereby the point of connection varies with the movement of said lever.

In a device of the character described, a lever arranged to be operatively connected at or adjacent one end with a sliding door and pivotally mounted adjacent its other end relative to a stationary abutment to swing with the opening and closing of the door, manually controlled means cooperating with the door-connected end of said lever and arranged to swing said lever in one direction and to move the door toward open position, a spring, and means operatively connecting said spring to said lever at a point adjacent its fulcrum, said spring normally tending through said connections to swing said lever in a direction to move said door toward closed position, and said connecting means slidably engaging said lever and moving relative to and toward its fulcrum or movement of said lever in door opening direction.

4. In a device of the character described, a sliding door, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent its rear end relative to a stationary abutment, a second lever pivotally connected adjacent its rear end to the first lever adjacent its forward end and having its forward end pivotally carried by said door, said levers swinging with the opening and closing of said door, an operating handle car ried by and movable relative to said door and levers and arranged to move said levers and door in opening direction, spring closer mechanism, an arm pivotally carried by a stationary abutment adjacent said first lever and in operative connection with said closer mechanism, said arm being also connected to said first lever at a point adjacent its fulcrum whereby said closer mechanism normally tends to move said lever in a direction to move said door toward closed post tion, said connection from said arm to said lever slidably engaging the latter and mov ing relative thereto and toward its fulcrum on movement of said lever in door opening direction.

HENRY Gr. VOIGH T.

\Vitnesses Gwnnnomnn A. JACKSON, CHAS. E. RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

